The Great British Pubco Scam. Pubs are closing all over Britain yet pubs are places that most people love and think fondly of as some of the most significant, treasured, iconic parts of our culture, places to be cherished, nurtured and looked after. Yet they're closing everywhere... WHY? It doesn't make sense does it? Read on...
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Well done Shepherd Neame for having such foresight to save resources - and cash - for the long term by regarding the day to day environmental impact of running a large business as being essential to the whole operation.

It's high time for environmental efficiency issues to come to the top of the pub industry news agenda. Pubs are just about the most wasteful, fuel guzzling, inefficient buildings you could imagine. The energy costs of running a normal regular English pub are ridiculously high because the responsible repair and maintenance of the bricks and mortar of the national estate has been neglected for decades.

None of the big PubCos have any particular regard to lowering emissions from their estates or increasing fuel efficiency because by and large the responsibilities and costs for such decisions have been totally devolved to the people who have the least money to invest - tied lessees.

Another area of failing CSR in this business.

Royal Bank of Scotland are energy efficiency leaders in the property owning business and have long had an environmental efficiency officer. HEnce their high profile involvement in national energy efficiency awards and campaigns.

RBS's responsibilities fail completely, however, with regards to the energy efficiency of the large brick and mortar estates they own which are operated by PubCos like S&N Pub Enterprises for example where total responsibility for that part of the oepration is devolved to the S&NPE senior management who have to my knowledge, shown a reliable and total disregard for implementing any form of energy saving measure across their estate.

This to the extent that they have never even encouraged BDMs to recommend that licensees change to low energy light bulbs. I have not seen an S&NPE BDM for a very long time though. Perhaps their 'hands off' policy has changed in the intervening time.

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J Mark Dodds

I’m one of the Pub Persuaders, one of the Pub Professionals, one of the People who knows what’s going on – in PUBS that is - and this blog is about pubs, why they are so important to people and why they must be preserved, reinvigorated, enhanced and remade fit for purpose for the 21st century and beyond and how they must be made sustainable so that future generations can enjoy and learn from the rich seams of knowledge that can be found on everyone’s doorstep in every humble pub – until it’s closed forever – until it’s too late and people say ‘what happened to our pub? We really NEEDED that pub!’
I’m a publican, parent and photographer with a lot of food and drink experience in some of the busiest restaurants and clubs in Britain. Since long before 2008 (when I co-founded the Fair Pint Campaign) I’ve been a pro pubs, people and places person at the forefront of the national conversation about why pubs are closing… everywhere.
I love good pubs, my kids love good pubs, all my friends love good pubs – everyone loves good pubs and I’m determined to make sure good pubs remain part of everybody’s experience - of growing up in the UK and of visiting this country.